Hitokiri Battousai
by GilandThatz
Summary: After Kenshin and Kaoru died, Yahiko shut himself off from the world. But after Tsubame and his unborn child are killed, he becomes what Kenshin tried to escape. Character death and spoilers to OVA and series
1. Forces That Drive

GT: I don't want has come over me to create this fic, but I had a sudden inspiration and just had to write it. And I've finally decided never to watch Samurai X: Reflections anymore, because I will never get any of my other fics done if I keep get inspiration from that. (Even though it's currently one of the only things I ever watch anymore. And I've memorized the entire movie. ) Anyway, here ya guys go!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own anything that could be used against me in a court of law.  
  
Chapter 1: Forces That Drive  
  
Tsubame quietly looks in on the young dark-haired swordsman, who sat quietly in the middle of the room. His legs neatly folded beneath him and Kenshin's sakabato lying on the ground in front of him. He had been sitting there quietly ever since Kaoru had died sleeping on his lap. "Do you need anything, Yahiko?" She asks meekly as the once boy swordsman sits quietly in the middle of the room. Yahiko remains quiet and frozen in place, as if he had turned into a living statue.  
"Misao, Aoshi, and the kids will be arriving soon. Don't you want to have visitors? Maybe you and Aoshi can talk," Tsubame suggests but Yahiko still remains quiet. "It's okay if you don't want to talk, but it would be nice for you to say good-bye to them before they return to Kyoto. I think, it would be good for you." Yahiko just stays quiet, closing his eyes slowly trying to block out Tsubame. The waitress finally gives up and leaves the young swordsman alone.  
_She doesn't understand. She can never understand. My family is gone and I'm the only one left. Kenshin. Kaoru. Sanosuke. All of them left, two will never return and the other doesn't want to. I'm alone._ Yahiko thinks to himself, remembering his last moments with all of them. _Why can't we go back to the way things were? Before, they all left. When we were all happy, when we were a family_. He remains sitting in silence.  
"Lady Tsubame! Lady Tsubame!" Two little kids chime running towards her with open arms and huge grins on their small faces.  
"Jinni, Kamui, where's your parents?" She asks with a weak, forced smile, kneeling down and hugging the two siblings. Jinni, mixed up image of her mother and father, inheriting her mother's hair and behavior points over to a very pregnant Misao who waddles towards them.  
"How are you, Tsubame?" Misao asks with a smile as Jinni starts chasing after her younger brother, who was the spitting image of their father only with a much kinder look in his eyes and a smile on his face.  
"I'm trying to get by," she answers as the two women walk to sit in the shade, watching the two kids chase each other. "How's Aoshi?"  
"Late," Misao jokes sitting uncomfortably on the porch. "How's Yahiko? I hear he's taking it pretty hard." Tsubame looks at the ground, this was not the subject she wanted to talk about.  
"He's getting by, he's been in his room ever since Kaoru's death. It's a daily task to get him to open the door, let alone eat regularly." Tsubame explains as the door slides open and a tall dark-haired man wearing a tenchcoat comes in.  
"Daddy!" The kids squeal running to their Father with huge smiles on their faces. The leader of the Oniwaban group lifts up his two children, causing them to smile even more and wrap their little arms around his neck.  
"You've trained him well, I see." Tsubame jokes with a smile as Aoshi Shinomori walks over to his wife and her friend. The kids jump off their Father and resume with their game, Aoshi quietly sits next to Misao who kisses him lightly on the cheek.  
"Where have you been?" Misao asks with a smile, Aoshi just looks at her with a straight face, quietly thinking to himself. "I can't read your mind, you know." Misao puts the Oniwaban leader on the spot, just trying to see if he would crack under pressure. Tsubame pours tea into a cup and softly sets it down in front of him. Tsubame looks over at the door that was hiding Yahiko, his pain seeping through and infecting the air that so wanted to be happy and carefree.  
"Lord Aoshi, can you please do me a favor?" Tsubame asks meekly, Aoshi directs his attention to her and nods calmly.  
"What do you need me to do?" Aoshi asks as Tsubame looks over at the closed door with a sad look in her eyes.  
"I'm worried about him. Ever since Kaoru died he seemed to lose his spirit. Kaoru was the only one left, after Kenshin died. And he doesn't even think that I'm still here. I'm afraid for him, I don't want to lose him but I think he's already lost. I was hoping that you could talk to him for me, try to bring him back." Tsubame says tearing up a little bit, Misao tries to comfort her but it doesn't seem to ease her pain. Aoshi slowly stands up and disappears into Yahiko's room.  
He is greeted by silence in the middle of the room, Yahiko Myojin sits quietly in the same position he was when Tsubame came to check on him. The small, bratty swordsman that was usually seen with the reformed battousai and his marry band of loyal follows was now a dark-haired man who was lost to the world trying to get over the grief of loss. "Yahiko," Aoshi simply says folding his legs and sitting in front of the twenty-year- old swordsman, who stared into the vastness of space. "Tsubame is worried about you and I know that they wouldn't want you to be like this. They wouldn't want the memory of them tainted by you sitting in a room, closing yourself off from the world."  
Yahiko remains silent, giving Aoshi the distinct impression that he didn't want him there. Aoshi nods quietly, gets up and leaves. He returns to Misao and Tsubame who sit deep in conversion about how life's been with them. Tsubame hears the slight, quiet footsteps of the tall man. She looks over at him with hopefulness that he had gotten through to her swordsman; Aoshi looks quietly at her than walks over to the door. "It's going to be dark, soon. And we have to get to the train before it leaves for Kyoto, I hope you understand if we cut this reunion short." Aoshi says, a defeated look grows on Tsubame's face. She had used the last of her available resources and now there was nothing that could help her husband.  
"It's okay. I wouldn't want you missing your train. Good-bye," she says trying to hide her pain and loss of hope. Aoshi helps Misao get to her feet and the two collect their children.  
"I'm sorry, we couldn't stay longer." Misao says with a smile hugging the girl and leading her children out. Aoshi nods to the waitress and follows after his family that had changed him dramatically. Tsubame looks after them before going inside and cleaning the sitting room. After watching the sun disappear into the horizon, she walks down the hall eyeing Yahiko's room for a second before disappearing into her own. Yahiko sits in silence, remembering that Aoshi had talked to him and he did nothing.  
_Why am I feeling sorry for myself? I'm pathetic, as soon as they're gone I'm nothing. Why the hell am I still sitting here? Aoshi said Tsubame needed me, that she was worried. I'm coming, as soon as I my legs wake up._ Yahiko thinks to himself shaking out his legs and standing up, leaving behind the sakabato and going to his room that normally shared with his beloved wife. A feeling comes over him as he slides open the door to see everything turned over and Tsubame leaning against the wall. Something red painting the room and over her. "Ya-Yahiko," she forces out with a smile reaching out for him. Yahiko runs over to her, catching her before she falls to the ground. He gently lays her down, trying to hold back the tears.  
"Tsubame, I-I'm sorry." Yahiko says choking on his words as she reaches out for his face rubbing her hand on his soft cheek. A smile grows on her face as she looks at him with longing eyes.  
"T-There's nothing t-to be so-sorry a-a-about, L-Little Ya-Yahiko." She says smiling with her bloody teeth; she coughs blood escaping from her mouth onto Yahiko's face. "I-I'm so-sorry, that w-we couldn't be to- together m-more." She rubs her fingers over Yahiko's trebling lips as he forms a smile and looks into her eyes.  
"Don't worry, we have all the time in the world." He says as tears roll down his face. Her eyes brighten up when he says this but seem to fade away again. _I want you to remember me forever,_ she thinks to herself taking out a small dagger and digging it into his right cheek, drawing a massive amount of blood. Yahiko just allows her to do this, closing his eyes in pain but is greeted back with a bloody kiss.  
"I-I'm hap-happy to bear your ch-child," she says sliding her hand on her belly. This makes Yahiko's feelings burst out and he breaks out in tears. "D-Don't cry, we ha-have for-forever." With that Yahiko watches as another person disappears from his life and to make matters worse, it took two lives. Yahiko holds her closely, a river of tears running down his face. After a while, his tears start to run dry as he hears a slight shuffling in the back.  
Yahiko slowly looks up from his wife and straight forward. "Did you check back there?" Someone asks pointing to their room, their sword in the sheath at their side as they rummaged through the house.  
"Yeah, some lady was back there. But don't worry, I took care of her." The other one laughs patting his sword with pride. A burning fills Yahiko as he stands up and climbs out the window. One of the guys are guarding the front entrance to the Kamiya dojo as the others about ten looted his home.  
"Hello, how are you today?" Yahiko asks walking over to him with a fake smile on his face. The guard looks cautiously at the younger man, drawing his sword. "Ahh, I see you have no regard for the law. But at least you have a good choice in sword, robbers, bandits, thieves, and dead men only use concealed swords but you have a Japanese sword." The guard swings at the twenty-year-old who easily catches the blade between his fingers. "I hope you understand, that I will not hold back."  
"Good, I've been waiting for a good murder." The guard says with a smile sliding his sword from between Yahiko's fingers.  
"As have I," Yahiko says as he jumps into the air and lands behind the man. Elbowing him in the head and taking his sword from him. "A man who cannot use a sword correctly, shouldn't use a sword." With that Yahiko kills the guard without the hesitation a person would usually have. He walks inside of his house with the look of death in his eyes. The bandits turn to the "Tokyo Samurai", all taking out their weapons.  
"Who the hell are you?" One of them ask looking into Yahiko's unfearing eyes. Yahiko looks into his eyes and smiles slightly.  
"Someone who's not afraid to die," he says as he plows through the weak and frail bodies, missing all but one. The man who killed Tsubame and their unborn child stands surrounded by the bodies of his fallen compadres.  
"Please, I beg of you. Don't kill me," he cries getting on his knees in front of the new battousai. Yahiko looks down on him with anger burning within him but also extreme remorse. He had just killed eleven men and was about to kill one more.  
"Is that what she said, when you killed her?" Yahiko asks with a tear running down his face. The man takes the tear as a sign of weakness and attacks him. The two men stand quietly in front of each other, both staring off into space. "A man who kills a defenseless woman, deserves death more than any other." The man falls to the ground and blood rushes from Yahiko's already cut right cheek. He rubs the cross-shaped wound that was what Kenshin had.  
"Kenshin will never escape his legacy," Yahiko says to himself taking the sword that killed his wife and sheathing it. _And I will have the burden of it,_ he thinks to himself standing up taking one look around before disappearing in the darkness of the streets.  
  
To Be Continued...  
  
GT: What did you think? This chapter is kinda dragging but the others will be better. And what's better is that more characters are going to be coming in. Like Soujiro, Enishi, and lots of new characters like Miki and Lan. Anyway, please read the next chapters because a lot will be happening. And what did you think of me making Aoshi a family man and married to Misao? Please Review! For the sake of my self-esteem! 


	2. Chain of Memories

GT: Hello everyone. This is the second chapter of Hitokiri Battousai. You can expect great things because I did research. Anyway, here ya'll go!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own anything that can be used against me in a court of law. But I do own Miki and Lan.   
  
Chapter 2: Chain of Memories  
  
The chain of murders following the Kamiya dojo massacre littered the news and daily gossip. Bandits gruesomely murdered along with the pregnant woman married to the late Yahiko Myoujin who was supposed dead. "What is it tonight?" A person asks standing on the roof of a housing building that outlined a state building. He looks down at the seemingly sleeping, younger man who had been hired a couple months before.  
"Don't talk to that guy, he doesn't talk. I think he's a mute," one of the others say joining the two on the roof. "All he does is get the job done and than he just leaves." The guy explains as the first guy looks down at the dark-haired man who looks intently at the large building. He stands up; his eyes fixed on the building.  
"It's twelve, let's get going." Some from inside says to them with a gleeful smile, sliding on a black mask. "It's a high profile polictian, so we got to go in quick and quiet. Hopefully, we don't get found." The other two nod in reply, slipping on their masks as well.  
"Kenshin, get ready." The second guy says turning to the dark-haired man who had disappeared from the roof.  
"Where the hell did he go?" The first guy asks with a puzzled look on his face. The two of them notice someone running across the courtyard to the building. "HE'S GOING TO GET HIMSELF KILLED!"  
"I guess we go," the second guy says jumping to join their leader on the attack. The group of terrorists follow the much younger and faster man as he slices through the guards with incredible ease. A familiar crimson liquid painting the ground where the bodies fell.  
"He's not human," one of the guards say watching the twenty-year-old murderer use something he learned by just watching, Amakakeru Ryu no Hirameki. He watches as the battousai makes his way leaving behind a wave of bodies.  
"He's Himura Battousai! RUN!" One of the guards conclude as he remembers him draw his sword with the Battou Jutsu. All the guards get a frightened look on their faces as they all scatter in different directions, leaving the polication to his fate. Inside a once well-guarded room, Juru Hankyu sips hot tea quietly.  
"What the hell is going on?" He asks himself looking out the window, noticing his guards fleeing for their worthless lives. He gets a shocked look on his face, dropping his teacup.  
"Sad, isn't it?" Someone asks from behind him. The fat, elderly polication slowly turns around to see the young swordsman stand at the doorway completely calm. Juru stifles a cry as he looks into the man's cold eyes.  
"Please, please. Don't kill me. I don't wanna die," Juru pleads getting on his knees, crying like a newborn baby. The swordsman known to many as Himura Battousai stares down at the old man. _Pathetic,_ he thinks to himself as playbacks of all the murders he committed play in his mind like a horrible moving picture show. To die out the pain, he brings down his blade on the old man. Blood spurting out of the arteries of the neck and painting the eggshell white walls red. Two people run up from behind him, removing their black masks.  
"Good job," one of them say happily studying the clean cut beheading. He looks over at the world-renowned Battousai who looks defeated. The dark-haired hitokiri turns to the doorway and disappears down the hall. "Where's he going?"  
"KENSHIN! KENSHIN! Where the hell do ya think youse going? We havta finish the job!" One of the other members say as "Kenshin" walks quietly passed them, cleaning off his blade.  
"I'm not Kenshin Himura," the dark-haired man says as they watch him leave with a new mission on his mind. _I'm going to get my life back,_ he thinks to himself as he walks through the sea of bodies, leaving behind a year of his life.  
  
-Four Months Later-  
  
He had somehow got unnoticed by anyone living near the Kamiya dojo. He had spent a year killing people and returned to the place he grew up a new person. Kenji Himura had disappeared somewhere, but it didn't matter to him at the moment. "I'm home," he says to himself leaning against the wall and sinking to the ground. _But I'm not worthy of being home,_ he thinks to himself as he sets down the blade of his beloved wife's murderer.  
He puts his hands over his head, emotions building up inside him. "Oh God," he says as tears stream down his face. Sunlight softly shining through the paper-thin doors and stretching to were he sat crying himself to sleep. The twenty-year-old slowly opened his eyes only to be greeted by darkness.  
"_Yahiko_," someone calls softly from further in the house. He forces himself to stand but and searches the house for the person. "_Yahiko_." He stops at a familiar door and slowly slides it open; he turns on a lamp. "_Yahiko_." Tsubame sits in the middle of the room, holding a small bundle in her arms.  
"Tsubame?" He asks slowly walking over to his supposable dead wife, who gently rocks a small baby in her arms.  
"_Yahiko, where have you been? You haven't been home in so long. We've been getting worried_," she says as Yahiko just stares longingly in her eyes.  
"We?" He asks his stare unwavering and almost in pure shock. He reaches out and moves her dark hair out of her face.  
"_Yeah, Kaoru, Kenshin, Shinya, and I_." She answers as Yahiko starts to realize what was happening.  
"Shinya?" He asks as he notices a cooing baby in her arms who stares up at him with big, beautiful brown eyes and a unforgettable smile on the child's face. The baby reaches out its small, cubby arms to him.  
"_Did you forget about your son while you were gone?_" Tsubame asks with an annoyed tone in her voice. Yahiko doesn't answer but gently kisses his wife on the cheek. "_Yahiko?_"  
"I'm so lost without you. Without Kaoru. Or Kenshin. I need help, I need you. Why'd you have to go?" Yahiko asks crying like he was when he was younger and trying to remember his parents. Tsubame strokes his dark- hair as he lay down on the mattress, holding the pillow tightly to his chest.  
"_Everything will work out just fine, Little Yahiko_." Tsubame says calmly as her voice rocks him back into a restful slumber.  
"Ayame, someone's here!" He hears someone yell from the sitting room. He listens to gentle running of socks come down the hall and stop at the open door.  
"Suzume! Stay where you are! I'll look and see if anything is missing!" The much older Ayame says running to where her younger sister stood.  
"It's Yahiko," Suzume says pointing at the waking man who rubs his eyes and smile at the two teenage girls.  
"Good morning," he says smiling. Ayame gasps nearly at tears, while Suzume jumps at him and hugs him tightly.  
"Yahiko!" She shouts happily hugging him. Ayame runs off to get one of the people that came with them. While Suzume suffocates the returned Yahiko, Ayame comes back with a familiar Secret Police Officer.  
"I was dragged here because I couldn't understand shuttering," Saitou says as he notices Yahiko turning red from lack of air.  
"Get her offa me," he chokes out as Ayame drags her younger sister off of Yahiko.  
"We'll leave you two to catch up," Ayame says dragging her little sister off to get Megumi from the house.  
"How have you been?" Saitou asks as he joins Yahiko on the ground. Yahiko looks at him with a guilty look on his face, his cross-shaped hidden by the shadows on his face.  
"Next you're going to ask me if I'm involved with the reappearance of Himura Battousai," Yahiko says with a sarcastic tone. Saitou looks at the young man questioningly.  
"Well, are you?" The aging wolf asks an intrigated smile growing on his face. Yahiko glares at the much older police officer.  
"That's for me to know and you to find out," Yahiko says with a sly smile. He stands up and walks over to the door. Grabbing Kenshin's sakabato, not looking back at Saitou. "Tell them that I'm sorry for not saying good-bye."  
"Where are you going?" Saitou asks studying the man curiously. Yahiko slightly smiles at a nice thought.  
"I have to go find myself. I lost myself when Kaoru, Kenshin, and Tsubame died so now I think I owe it to them that I try." Yahiko says attaching Kenshin's sakabato to his side and leaving Saitou alone. Yahiko walks down the dirt street disappearing in the large crowd. Becoming a wanderer, like Kenshin. Yahiko traveled almost peacefully as he passed unfamiliar faces, his destination unknown. He walks passed familiar older man, where he knew him from he did not know. He just knew that he knew him from somewhere.  
"You there!" A police officer shouts the two men look over with a surprised look on their faces. "This is the Meiji era and there's a ban on swords. Or did you forget?" Yahiko looks down at his sakabato and the other man at his own. They both look back at the police officer who notices two swordsmen and one with a very distinctive scar that had recently reappeared in the paper.  
"It's the battousai!" Someone from the crowd shouts as the police officer approaches Yahiko, placing his hand over the handle of his sword. The other swordsman man looks around questioningly, his hand also on the handle getting into a semi-defensive stance.  
"Are you Himura Battousai?" The police officer asks glaring at the young man who was now the center of everyone's attention.  
"This one is Yahiko Myoujin," he answers trying to get into the Kenshin side of his actions. The police officer studies the scar on his right cheek and shoves him to the ground.  
"This one is an idiot!" The police officer shouts getting angry and unsheathing his sword. The crowd moves back as the officer places the cold metal against his throat. The other swordsman also unsheathes his sword and prepares to get on the offense.  
"Do not start an unnessacary fight," the other swordsman says calmly getting ready to attack the police officer. The officer laughs tauntingly at the other swordsman who had taken out a sakabato.  
"A sakabato? Do think that little of me?" The officer asks maniacally, pressing the blade closer to Yahiko's neck slightly drawing blood.  
"Please forgive the pain," the other swordsman says to the officer. "Shun Ten Satsu!" Yahiko watches the other swordsman disappear into a burst of speed. And a second later, the officer falls unconius to the ground. Bleeding but not dead; standing over him was the swordsman putting away his sword. "Are you all right?" He helps Yahiko get to his feet and Yahiko dusts off. "You've grown, haven't you?"  
"Who are you?" Yahiko asks trying to remember where he knew the dark blue-haired swordsman from. The man smiles softly at him before starting to walk off. "You know, not answering a question is rude!"  
"Follow me," the swordsman says softly leading Yahiko off to the riverbank. The swordsman stops and turns to him with a smile. "We're being followed." Yahiko turns around to see a girl standing at the top of the hill, holding a large covered weapon.  
"Can you answer my question before Girlie comes down here?" Yahiko asks rather impatiently. The dark-haired man smiles at him, putting up his shoulder length hair.  
"I am Soujirou Seta," the swordsman answers with a large smile, getting ready to fight the girl. Yahiko looks up at the rather small girl, both horizontally and vertically. A wicked looking smile grows on the girl's face as she sets down the rather big object and takes out a medium sized shuriken from its place on her back. She whips it through the air at the two men. Yahiko dunks out of its way and so does Soujirou.  
"Why is she attacking?" Yahiko asks as Soujirou runs at the young teenage girl, who performs an excellent show of back flips landing next to the large covered weapon. Yahiko watches in pure amazement as the white covers fall to the ground to reveal...  
  
GT: What does the cover reveal? Who is the girl? All and more will be answered in the next chapter. Enishi join the others in the next chapter! And Yahiko and his team will go against someone they have only heard in scary stories...the first appearance of _The Merchant of Death_!!! Please Review! 


	3. The One Only Known In Nightmares

GT: Yello, this is about to be my favorite chapter of this fic. _The Merchant of Death_ and Lan make their first appearance. And Miki joins the group! As does Enishi! Yea! Anyway, here ya'll go! At the end of the chapter is a weapons list explaining all the names otherwise you'd be left clueless on what a kusarikama and kunai is, I know I was until I did research. Yes, I researched for this fic. Go well informed me!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own anything that can be used against me in a court of law  
  
Chapter 3: The One Only Known In Nightmares  
  
The white cover gently lands on the ground and the girl stands on the hilltop holding the object that was made popular by Zanza, the zanbato. "How is she holding that thing?" Soujirou asks in disbelief as a cocky smile grows on the girl's face.  
"I'm giving you a chance to run," the girl says to them as she prepares to attack. "But if you wanna stay and fight, it doesn't matter. It'll just be your funeral." Yahiko gets into a defensive position along with Soujirou at his side.  
"I don't fighting girls," Yahiko says the girl glares at him, growling slightly.  
"I didn't know girls growl," Soujirou says with a weak smile on his face. The girl prepares to run at them.  
"Apparently, you never met Kaoru." Yahiko says jokingly as the girl swings the large object at the two of them. They both skillfully dodge the attacks that are performed quickly. _Damn, for a girl she's quick._ Yahiko thinks to himself as the zanbato nearly tags him.  
"Yahiko! Move it!" Soujirou shouts pushing him aside and getting the full force of the girl's attack. Soujirou is knocked into unconiousness and Yahiko gets the wind knocked out of him. Yahiko gets to his feet, staring deeply into the girl's hazel eyes. She prepares to attack him but stops an inch away from his face. Yahiko starts to breathe a sigh of relief but is stopped by something cold against his throat.  
"I don't like to kill people I don't know," she says with a smirk. Yahiko feels a sense a relief as the girl puts one hand on her hip. "So, what's your name?" Yahiko goes wide-eyed; he looks back up at the girl who holds out her hand. "I'm Miki, nice to meet you." Yahiko's eye twitches as he slowly shakes the girl's hand.  
"I'm Yahiko," he answers, hearing Soujirou's disproved grunt. Miki smiles slightly, still waiting for something more.  
"Don't ya have a last name? Or are youse poor?" She asks impatiently, her foot starting to tap rhythmically.  
"Don't you have one?" Yahiko asks trying to buy some time. Miki eyes him curiously and than a bright smile grows on her face.  
"Yes, I am Miki Sagara." She says happily. Her response causes Soujirou and Yahiko to fall down, in pure shock. "Are ya'll alright? I still havta kill ya, ya know. So don't die or anything." Yahiko looks up at the dark-haired girl who was shorter than him.  
"Did-Did you say Miki Sagara?" Yahiko asks looking up at his rather cheerful attacker who could amazingly lift the zanbato with great ease.  
"That's my name, don't wear it out." She says with a spunky, childlike tone. Not noticing a lingering shadow behind her. A glint from something on the person's face gets in Yahiko's eyes, nearly blinding him. Miki notices Yahiko's discomfort and flips into the air like an acrobat and lands behind the silver-haired man.  
"Enishi, she isn't like your normal girl." Soujirou warns finally sitting up. Enishi turns to the very sharp blade right up to his neck. Miki looks into his eyes with a fire of determination. "I would suggest you run."  
"From a little girl," Enishi says disappearing in a burst of speed. He reappears behind the unknowing Miki, who has a look of confidence on her face that sends chills down Soujirou's and Yahiko's spines. Enishi uses _Ko Fuku Zet Tou Sei_, sinking to the ground and lunging at the sixteen-year-old girl. The group disappears in a cloud of dirt; Yahiko tries to see through the thick dirt, getting hit by falling pieces of rock and twigs.  
"Girl's as good as dead," he hears Soujirou say, who's sitting next to him still in an incredible amount of pain. But as the dirt starts to clear up Enishi is set flying through the air and landing beside Soujirou.  
"Damn, she's good." Enishi says under his breath, wiping off blood that came from his mouth. Miki stands in a punching position, than stands back up.  
"You ruined my zanbato," she says, indicating the large sword that was lunged in the ground with Enishi's sword stuck inside it.  
"And you ruined mine. Although, using the zanbato as a shield probably saved your cute ass." Enishi says with a toothy, bloody smile. A cocky little smirk grows on Miki's face as she lifts up her hands. Six little blades, much like Misao's kunai lift between her knuckles.  
"Oh, crap." Yahiko says rather speechless. Miki's small arsenal never seemed to run out of surprises. The three men try to get up but the girl flings the kunai through the air and they all are pinned to the ground by their clothes. A scattered laughter goes through the crowd of people who had formed some time during the battle.  
"This is pathetic," Enishi says as Miki starts to crack up at the sad sight. Soujirou, Yahiko, and Enishi just glare at the girl, who is trying her hardest to collect herself.  
"I thought you would be hard to beat, but this is a little too easy. More easily than that fat moron I fought last week. Come on! Aren't ya guys supposed to be revered swordsmen?" Miki says holding her sides and falling to the ground. Enishi rolls his eyes, giving the girl a smug look. Yahiko looks over at the dark-haired girl who abruptly stops laughing, a look of terror in her deep hazel eyes as she looks behind them. The three men turn around to see another person standing near the river, studying the four of them. Most of his face covered by a black facemask and a red bandana covering his left eye, but his gleaming silver eye seemed perfectly able to study them thoroughly. A katana on his back and two chains leading to handles also on his back.  
His cold, distant eye focuses on Yahiko who just stares at him. The man points at him with a gleeful glow in his eye. Yahiko's stare unwavers as he watches the man vanish in midair. _Who was that?_ Yahiko thinks to himself, fixated on the place where he last saw the man. "Let me go," he hears Miki say from behind him. He quickly turns around to see the man standing there holding Miki off the ground by her hair.  
"Don't worry Girlie, we'll save you." Enishi says standing up and charging at the man. Miki rolls her eyes at the surprising stupid swordsmen.  
"Hey, stupid! Are ya forgettin' youse sword? It's over there, in my sword." Miki says impatiently, glaring at him. Enishi stops realizing that she was right, he turns to Soujirou and Yahiko who just stare in awe at his stupidity.  
"Hey, Soujirou. Where did you find this guy?" Yahiko asks under his breath, Soujirou just hangs his head in shame. Miki begins to notice the reactions of the crowd are way different when the guy that was holding her hostage arrived.  
"That poor child," someone says from within the crowd as the crowd just look at Miki with sympathy. Tried of waiting for the "heroes" to save her, Miki kicks the man trying to get herself freed.  
"I don't think so, you see, no one has ever escaped alive after laying eyes on me." The man says looking up at the crowd, a noticeable smile growing on his face under the mask. Miki's eyes go wide with shock as the man uses his only free hand to throw the thing attached to a chain, a kusarikama. The kusarikama zooms through the air at the unsuspecting crowd and then returns back to the man's free left hand. The crowd quiets down and the people outlining the field's heads fall to the ground, painting the grass red. The lucky few who happened to be shorter than the rest, get off with their scalps sliding off their heads.  
"You bastard," Miki says to the man who just looks at the crowd almost satisfied. The man looks questioningly at Miki, who just glares at him.  
"Don't you just love crowd participation?" Someone from the crowd says with a smile on their face, red liquid running down her face and onto her chest. The crowd moves out of the domantix's way as she makes her way onto the field. "Van, The Merchant of Death, your reputation presides you." Miki eyes go even wide with shock and fear, the man who had her by her hair was the one only known by dead men. Yahiko stands up sakabato in his hands, ready to fight.  
"Put down the girl!" Yahiko shouts readying his weapon, next to him stands Soujirou who was still injured by Miki's attack but still willing to fight with his sakabato and then Enishi stands on Yahiko's other side, putting off his pride and using a stick as his weapon. The woman snuffs a laugh as she walks over to feared Merchant of Death and whispers something in his ear.  
"Himura-san wants to talk to you. You don't want to keep him waiting, do you? You know how mad he gets when he's ignored. Set off your play date for another time," she says with a smile, looking at Miki who just looks at Van. Unknowing to the woman, Miki had heard the one-sided conversion. Van throws Miki to the feet of Yahiko Myoujin and disappears once again in the blink of an eye. The woman resembling Yumi, walks over to Yahiko with a sultry smile on her face. "I'll see you again, my sexy little swordsman." She licks her lips and then disappears like Van, only more graceful.  
"Are you all right?" Yahiko asks Miki, holding out his hand to help her up. Miki glares at him and uses her outstretched leg to send him to the ground.  
"I don't need your help, Battousai." Miki says with an angry tone in her voice. Soujirou and Enishi look down at Kenshin's friend who gets the same look that Kenshin had on his face many times before.  
"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm no murderer," Yahiko lies as Miki crawls over to him and gets in a rather compromising position with the Tokyo Samurai, on her hands and knees on top of him studying his cross-shaped scar.  
"If you're not the Battousai than why do ya have a cross-shaped scar on your right cheek?" Miki asks with an unbelieving look on her face. Soujirou and Enishi squat beside her with intrigued looks on their faces.  
"Yeah, I've been wondering that as well, Yahiko. It doesn't seem a possible that a new Battousai has shown up with a cross-shaped scar on his right cheek, after Kenshin has died only a couple years ago. And after the Kamiya dojo incident, there is no doubt in my mind that you might be Kenshin's replacement." Soujirou says as Yahiko gently moves Miki off of him and smiles innocently at the three of them.  
"How much money do I owe ya?" Enishi asks Miki who just glares at him, holding out her hand with a smirk on her face.  
"You guys know each other?" Yahiko asks as they both shake their heads and Miki collects her money.  
"No, they made a bet right before The Merchant of Death arrived if you were Kenshin's replacement or not." Soujirou explains as they watch Miki stuff her money in her shirt. Yahiko just stares at her curiously.  
"What? No one would ever reach in my shirt for money. And even if they were that dumb, I would cut off their balls." Miki says as Enishi just stares at her with a little fear in his eyes. The four of them stand up and Miki just smiles at them. Enishi walks over the zanbato and tries to get his sword out from its new sheath. "Ya owe me a new sword." Enishi looks over at her with his veins popping out from his skin in anger.  
"Enishi, calm down. You'll scare the children," Soujirou jokes with a half-hearted laugh, patting the other man on his shoulder. Enishi looks up at him, growling. Soujirou takes this as a sign to back off from the wild animal. Enishi walks over to Miki and grabs her from by her shirt, lifting her off the ground.  
"I owe you nothing," Enishi growls, looking Miki in the eye. Instead of the fear that he would normally get from someone like her, which was a cocky and didn't really care about her swordsmenship; he got a look of annoyance and an impatient smirk. "Stupid Girlie." He lets go of Miki's shirt, she looks up at him and smiles.  
"So, why did you attack us?" Yahiko asks Miki who just puts her hand behind her back and smiles innocently. Yahiko looks her straight in the eyes with a smile growing on his face.  
"Sano never returned when he went to fight the Battousai. He never gave the smallest hint that he had lived through that fight. I've been training most of my life so when I meet the Battousai, so I can defeat him and bring honor back to Zanza's name." Miki says putting both hands on her hips and looking down into the sunset with a determined look on her face. Enishi and Soujirou try not to laugh at her. Yahiko remains cool and collected with a slight smile.  
"I'm sorry, but I am not the Battousai Sano fought. Anyway, what is Sano to you? I only know of one person who can carry that thing with one hand and it would seem that Sano is most likely to get a girl pregnant and not stick around." Yahiko says with a smile Miki lifts up her zanbato, eyeing the sword sticking out of it carefully.  
"Sano saved me. When I was really little, my family was massacred right before my eyes. But just as they were about to come and kill me, Sano came with the zanbato. We just happened to own the inn he was staying in and he came in to get a drink. He heard what was going on and went to go get his zanbato. Even though he was too late for my family, he protected me and took me in. We lived together at a village just outside of Kyoto. When he left and never returned I was left alone again." Miki explains as they all walk over to a sitting area, Enishi busy ordering drinks. Soujirou and Yahiko listening intensively to Miki's story. "I heard tales of a really strong man living with the Battousai in Tokyo, so I came to check it out. But no one was there, apparently there had been a massacre." Soujirou looks over at Yahiko with a suspicious glow in his eyes.  
"You gotta start somewhere," Enishi says as the waitress brings over four drinks. Soujirou smiles at the girl who looks at the mixture of zanbato and katana.  
"Will you be looking for someone to fix that?" The waitress asks indicating the two weapons that were now stuck together. Yahiko smiled at the thought of the reactions the two fighters had.  
"Yeah, do you know a cheap place where they can fix it?" Miki asks causing Soujirou and the others to sigh heavily. The waitress smiles at her and points over at a cliff over looking the town.  
"There's a silversmith that lives right out of town. He's really skilled and his technique is unique because instead of metal he uses a special type of silver. He doesn't get a lot of customers but those who come get a good deal and a excellent job." The waitress explains with a smile but as she walks off she remembers something. She turns to tell the group but she finds that they have vanished.  
"Do we know anything else about this guy? Other than he might be a deranged murderer," Miki says sarcastically as they hike up the mountain. Enishi walks closely behind her with a smile on his face. "Wait, Enishi you can talk to him first. Deranged psycho to deranged mountain man." Behind Miki's back Enishi makes faces at the sixteen-year-old who takes her place at Yahiko's side. Soujirou just looks over at Enishi, his eye slightly twitching.  
"How old are you? Five?" Soujirou asks as he hears a slight whistling in the air. He looks up at a dozen senbon flying through the air at them. "Get down!" He pushes Miki to the ground, lying on top of her as a shield. Enishi and Yahiko join the two on the ground as the senbon hit the trees that they surrounded them.  
"Holy shit! Who's attacking?" Enishi asks in somewhat of a panic as they all bunch up together. Yahiko's hand hits a small string that was attached to the trees.  
"No one, its booby trapped." Yahiko says indicating the almost invisible string that lined the forest floor. Miki gets an annoyed look on her face as she looks up at the cliff. After a while the group finally gets to the ever so junk heap of a two-leveled hut.  
"Helloooo," Miki says with a sweet smile as they look inside the barn for any sign of life. A flap of wings is the only thing that replies as a falcon flies straight at them. The four duck out of its way and the sound of things moving is heard.  
"Sakura? Where'd ya go?" Someone asks as the falcon takes its perch on a tree limb outside. A man looks down at the group with a huge smile on his face. The four of them look up at the dark brown-haired man with silver outlining his tan face, a red bandana over his right eye only showing a forest green eye. "How are you? Do you need anything?"  
"Yeah," Miki and Enishi say in unison as the man walks over to the ladder.  
"I'll be right down," he says as he steps in a silver pail and starts to twirl around on uneasy feet as he tries to get the pail off his foot. "Right after I get this off." He shakes his foot, trying to get it loose but to no succeed. The group of four just watch him as he hits his head on a overhanging roof support, stubs his foot on the rail, somehow hits his hand with a mallet, gets the pile off his foot and onto his head, and finishes off by falling down the ladder into a pile of mud.  
"Do we want him to touch our stuff?" Miki asks as the really clumsy silversmith looks up at them and smiles. His gentle, honest eyes meets with Miki's and a smile grows even more. Yahiko walks over to the man and helps him up.  
"I'm sorry, we haven't been introduced. I'm Lan Sumeragi, nice to meet you. What's your names?" Lan asks as he shakes all of their hands, with the expectation of Enishi who just eyed his hand carefully.  
"I'm Yahiko, this is Soujirou, Miki, and Enishi." Yahiko says as Lan looks over at the Miki's zanbato and Enishi's katana. He looks back at Yahiko, pointing at the unbelievable sight. Yahiko just smiles and nods.  
"Well, this may take a while. I don't seem to have experience with this type of situation but I'll try my best." Lan says with a smile as he lifts the zanbato over his shoulder and wanders over to the back of the barn. Soujirou and Enishi look over at Miki and Yahiko who just stay completely quiet, Lan the silversmith was indeed different because he could carry zanbato with ease.  
"Do you know of a place where we can stay?" Soujirou asks as Enishi studies the walls of the barn, noticing a pair of kusarikama and katana hanging almost purposely concealed. Fresh blood on one of the kusarikama.  
"You can stay here, I live in my barn. And only go in my house for meal time and to clean." Lan replies with a smile, noticing Enishi looking over at the wall. Lan leads the group quickly out of the barn and into the house.  
  
Character Spotlight! Chibi anime characters do a little dance.  
  
GT's Note: I have a serious problem with profiles. I can't stop writing them. Anyway, this chapter's character spotlight is Miki! Miki is just a cool character. She holds her own and reminds me of my little sister. Anyway, here ya go!  
  
Miki Yukimura

_Age:_ 16

_Hair Color:_ Dark Brown

_Eye Color:_ Hazel

_Nicknames:_ Mi Mi, Zanza, Girlie,

_Past:_ Is the sole survivor of the Yukimura clan. When she was a young child, her family was massacred. She was rescued by Sanosuke and was practically raised by him in the village he bought her to. She has been searching for the fighter-for-hire ever since he disappeared from the village.

_Personality:_ Has trained her whole life to become like her hero, Sano. Many people underestimate her because of her size. But they aren't the ones laughing after she takes out the zanbato and lifts it up with extreme ease. Is extremely strong and has a Kaoru-complex. Looks up to Sano very much. Is the only girl in the team but pulls her own weight and is one of the strangest members. Weapons of Choice: Kunai, Zanbato, Fuuma Shuriken, Shuriken  
  
End of Character Spotlight!  
  
GT: End of chapter three. I finally got my favorite character Lan introduced! Lan Rox! Anyway, next chapter we'll find out what the Yumi character meant when she said Himura-san, but can you guys guess? Anyway, I always ask this question. Who is your favorite character in my fic? Next chapter will also have Soujirou vs. The Merchant of Death! And the next character spotlight will be Lan! Will we ever find out the Merchant of Death's true identity? Will Soujirou survive the fight? And will Miki and the Yumi wannabe fight? All will be answered in the next Hitokiri Battousai!  
  
Words that you may not know:

_Ko Fuku Zet Tou Sei:_ Used By Enishi Yukishiro, means Tiger lunging. This technique is basically, the user sinks down into the ground, extending his right leg and keeping his left bent inwards. Arms extended and sword held parallel behind his right arm, he brings his weapon up when ready with both hands holding its hilt, lunging forward and striking his opponent with all of his upper body strength.  
  
_Kunai:_ Used by Miki Yukimura and Misao Makimachi. Basically they're throwing knives.  
  
_Katana:_ Used By Van and many others. If ya'll don't know what it is yet, shame on you. It's a sword.  
  
_Kusarikama:_ Used By Van. A chained sickle.  
  
_-san:_ carries the meaning of Mr. or Ms.  
  
_Senbon:_ Used by Lan. Usually metal needles, used to be thrown at the opponent. But Lan uses his special silver.


End file.
